The Tyrant's Pet

"I heard you met with my brother during the speech…"

The faint sound of cutlery hitting the plates faded as Aries paused in cutting the steak. She gazed up and her eyes instantly landed on Joaquin sitting on the other end of the long table.

"Curious?" her smile didn't reach her eyes. "Or terrified?"

"Hah… maybe a little bit of both. Although I will say fear is not the accurate term for it." He shrugged. "With what my wife displayed, catching me off guard, I am intrigued. What did you gain from it?"

Aries pressed her lips into a thin line as she pondered about it. "Connections." This time, her smile reached her eyes as they squinted. "You may still think of me as a mere slave, returning for vengeance. Suit yourself. I have other options."

"Circe." Joaquin breathed out, resting his arms against the edge of the table. "I made a mistake."

"You didn't, Joaquin. You made a choice."

"Ughh…" He took a deep breath, pinching the bridge of his nose, as his wife still seemed angry about that. He couldn't blame her, though. His wife was a proud aristocrat in another empire, who was the best candidate for the empress if the emperor of the Haimirich Empire had a good relationship with the Vandrans.

Joaquin had thought long and hard about this matter for days. What Aries showcased — her scheme behind Carlos' sentencing to use his death to gain the public support was something "that" Aries wouldn't do. Although the Aries he knew were smart, strong, and fearless, she was not anything near his cunning wife.

"That" Aries… never posed a threat to him. His wife does.

With just a few words, the crown princess tweaked the outcome for the "better." Moreover, if she was that fallen princess, she would be more careful. But alas, the crown princess never tried to conceal her emotions and thoughts from him, nor did she ever show the slightest hint she was trying to divert this suspicion to something else.

Whether this was a tactic or the crown princess wasn't truly "that" Aries didn't matter anymore. At the end of the day, she was still the crown princess and his wife. Having a good relationship with her would still be beneficial, so long as he was careful.

"You're right," he breathed out once again, setting his eyes back to the woman sitting on the other end of the long dining table. "I made a choice, and it's something I regret."

"Circe, I'm sorry, alright? I had a lot on my plate with Carlos's case and everyone in the royal court wasn't helping. I know this may sound like an excuse, but I cannot trust anyone in this place," he continued in a solemn voice, looking at her straight in the eye. "You met the eighth prince in secret and still meet with the opposing party. How the hell would I know you're not plotting something for my downfall? I've been in this position and letting my heart take charge will cost me my life."

Silence instantly fell after his remarks, staring at each other without speaking a word. After several meetings of nothing but quietness, a shallow breath slipped past her lips.

"I understand your disposition, Your Royal Highness. However, I've said this several times. Your downfall will also be mine. Do you think the third prince will let me off the hook if he succeeds?" although her tone sounded calm, her eyes grew distant and unmoved. "The only reason I am the crown princess is that I married the crown prince. I don't know how many times I should stress this for you to understand I am in the same boat as yours."

Aries placed down the cutlery and picked up the cloth to wipe her lips. "It is not a secret how I ended up in this marriage I didn't want. The tyrant in Haimirich didn't like the idea of dividing his power or letting the aristocratic faction gain more influence than they already had in the royal court."

"This marriage had nearly become the reason for an uprising in my homeland as my brother had taken this as an offense. However, I deemed it as a mistake on their end and it's the consequence of their complacency," she added, leaving her 'thought' regarding this well-concocted storyline everyone knew in Haimirich and in this empire.

"I didn't marry you out of love, Crown Prince. I was forced. It was the consequence of others I must pay unfairly. But since I had already exchanged vows with you and it is pointless to wallow in the things I have no control over, there's only one thing I can do."

Aries planted her hands on the armrest, pushing herself up. Standing, she kept her distant eyes on him, her expression unreadable but imposing.

"My point here is, I will not let that happen again. I won't put my fate in the hands of another," she stressed solemnly, giving enlightenment of her actions until this point, which somehow made sense if put this way. "I stepped in just because the indignation and humiliation of being called and seen as a slave are something I can no longer stomach. And since you were convinced I was that woman, I had no choice but to show you what you are losing by clinging on to the ghost of another."

"I can be the wife you want and gain a petty problem as to have to bathe before joining me on my bed, or the crown princess who you will have to watch out for," she continued as her eyelashes fluttered elegantly. "Your Royal Highness, the only advantage you have in here is that you're legally my husband. Although our nights together were fun… I can still have fun with someone else. If one isn't enough to satisfy me, then inviting two or more is not a problem."

Aries knocked on the table lightly and smiled. "I have a lot of options in that area, is what I mean. I hope you have a good night, my husband dear." And with that, Aries smirked at him before leaving his bruised ego in the dining hall.

What a way to celebrate his victory.